Target.



H. & W. G. SWEENEY.

' TARGET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12. 1916.

1 220 022. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

HENRY SWEENEY AND WALTER G. SYVEENEY, OF FALL BIVER,'MASSACHUSETTS.

TARGET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed December l 191s. Serial-No. 136,493.

ity of plungers, or the like, adapted to be struck by a ball, and to provide an improved mechanism which may be operated by the depression of the plungers to display certain numbers, or the like, to disclose skill in the striking of-the plungers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus of this character which is of'simple construction,

comprises relatively few parts, and which may be easily andeconomically erected.

The above, and other objects and advantages of this invention will be brought out more clearly in the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, thesame' being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a game constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is avertical' section taken through the same.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device."

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partially in section,

of one of the plungers depressed, and the mechanism connected thereto.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the number plates in raised position, showing the means for holding it in such position.

Referring to these drawings, wherein like parts are designated by similar numerals of reference, throughout the several views, 10 designates a base board, which may be a portion of the floor of a building or platform, or may be a separate board, as shown. A pair of uprights 11 is placed at the opposite ends of the base board 10 and supports, at the front of the base board 10, a vertically disposed face board 12. I

The face board 12 is, provided with aplurality of openings extending transversely therethrough, the openings being preferably arranged in rows extending transversely across the face of the board, and being preferably off-set and reduced consecutively in number from top to bottom of the group of openings. Y

Pl-ungers 13 are-fitted in the openings, and are preferably provided with flat outer ends against which a ball, or other projectile, is adapted to be impacted. The plungers 13 are of considerable length, and extend at their rear endsthrough a back board or J plate 14, which is provided with a similar group-of openings for the reception of the plungers. I

Springs 15 surround the plungers 13 inclividually, and bearat one end against the back board 14, and at their opposite ends against collars16, which are secured to the plungers 13. The collars 16 areso adjusted on the plungers as to engage the rear face of the front board 12 and limit the outward movement of the plungers.

The rear ends of the plungers 13 have at their upper sides downwardly and rearwardly inclined cam faces 17 against which rest rollers 18, mounted in the lower ends of rods 19, which are mounted to slide vertically in guides or bearings 20 projecting from the rear face of the back board 14. The plungers 13 are so arranged that these vertically movable rods 19 'do not interfere with each other, and are suitably spaced apart so as not to be in close frictional contact with each other.

The back board 14 extends upwardly for a considerable distance above the front board 12, as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided upon its upper end' with a casing 21, having a transparent panel 22, 'in its front face, adapted to be viewed by a person tossing the ball toward the plunger. The casing supports a plurality of number plates 23, the same corresponding. in number to the number of plungers 13 and bearing upon their front faces numerals, or other indicia, such as 5777 107 15,7? 25,7, 50,7? a d 100- The number plates 23 are mounted against the inner face of the back of the casing 21 and have rearwardly extending fingers 24, which project fromthe casing 21 and lie in the vertical paths of the respective push rods 19.

The plates 23 are preferably supported upon a horizontally movable slide 25, which forms a part of the rear side or back of the casing 21, and which may be shifted so as to register the fingers 2a with different push rods 19, and thus change the corresponding numbers of the plungers 13.

Each number plate 23 has a depending stem 26 vertically movable in guides 27 within the casing 21, and provided with a projection or shoulder 28, adapted to receive thereagainst a spring pressed pawl 29, arranged in the casing to hold the number plate 23 raised, when lifted. The spring pressed pawls 29 have cords, or other means 30, connected thereto for releasing the pawls from the stems of the number plates, and permit the latter to fall into the lower end of the casing, out of line with the sight opening 22.

The push rods 19 are mounted in bearings 31 at their upper ends, the bearings 31 being preferably in horizontal alinement across the rear side of the casing 21. The standards or side pieces 11 are preferably secured across the lateral edges of the front and back parts 12 and 14, and have their upper edges inclined as at 32, from the upper end of the front board 12 to the lower end of the casing 21, the top of the inclosed structure thus formed being preferably closed by a top board 33.

In operation, the ball is thrown toward the face board 12 with the object of striking one of the plungers 13. hen one of the plunger rods is struck, the plunger rod is forced backwardly against the tension of its spring 15, and the cam face 17 of the plunger rod raises the roller 18 and its adjacent push rod 19. The upper end of the push rod 19 strikes the under side of the registering finger 2 1 and raises the latter to slide the number plate 23 upwardly into line with the sight opening 22. As the number plate 23 is raised, the shoulder 28 thereof is drawn upwardly past the pawl 29, and the latter springs beneath the shoulder 28 and retains the number plate in raised position.

Then it is desired to release the number plate, the cord 30 is drawn, to retract the pawl 29 from the shoulder 28. The plunger 13 is immediately urged back into normal extended position by its spring 15, the latter working against the collar 16. The collar 16 serves as a stop or abutment which bears against the face board 12 and holds the plunger from outward displacement.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the above spe cifically described game, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. A target comprising a vertical support, a plurality of plungers slidably mounted in the support, springs for the plungers to independently project the same forwardly in the support, said plungers having cam faces upon their inner ends, vertically disposed push rods carried by the support and adapted to hear at their lower ends upon said cam faces, a plurality of number plates on the upper end of the support bearing numbers upon their faces, and fingers projecting from said number plates into the paths of said push rods for raising the number plates by the operation of the push rods.

2. A target comprising a support, a plurality of spring pressed plungers mounted in the support and normally urged outwardly, said plungers having rear cam faces, and being adapted to be depressed by the impact of a ball against their outer ends, push rods slidably mounted on the support and having their lower ends bearing against said cam faces, a casing on top of the support having a sight opening in its front side, a plurality of number bearing plates mounted in the lower ends of the casing and having rearwardly projecting fingers lying in the paths of said push rods, said number plates being adapted to be raised by the push rods when the plungers are retracted, a stem depending from each number plate and having a shoulder thereon, a spring pressed pawl in the casing for each shoulder, adapted to engage the same when raised to retain the number plates in raised position, and in line with the sight opening, and means for releasing said pawls from said shoulders.

3. A target comprising a support, a plurality of spring pressed plungers slidably mounted in the support and being normally projected through one side of the same, a

push rod for each plunger adapted to be raised by the retraction of the plunger, a horizontal slide mounted on top of the support, a plurality of number'plates carried by the slide and having rearwardly projecting fingers lying in the paths of the push rods to be independently raised by the upward movement of the push rods, pawls for locking the plates raised, and flexible means connected with the pawls for permitting the releasing of the same from engagement with said number plates to permit the lowering thereof.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures.

HENRY SWEENEY. WALTER G. SWEENEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

